The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-11-16
CHIEF OF FISHES.
HERRING CAUGHT OFF TEN
COAST OF MAINE.
Three Different Ways OF Catching
This Valuable Food Fish-Sefn- s
ing. Weirs, and "Driving'-
An Unlawful Method.

An Unlawful Method.
Edgar L. Wakeman. in letter from
Pembroke, Maine, to the HAL and
Erpress, gives an interesting account of
herring fishing. We quote as follows
The herring are taken in three differ
ent ways by the seine, in weirs, and by
driving; the latter method, forbid
den by American and Canadian
regulations, being by far the most in:
teresting procedure. In seining much
the same means are employed as those
used in taking shad, while the latter are
running in the waters Of the Chesa-
peake and the Delaware. While have
seen many haul of shad made with,
seines of from q half mile TO mile In
length, herring seines are seldom more
than twenty-five fathons long, andsbout
twelve feet in depth, with one-haf to
three-fourths inch mesh. In seining,
narrow channels, and locations along
streams where tide water reaches soma
distance in-shore, are usually chosen;
though herring stations on beaches
where the tide snakes" strong in ebbi
and flow, are quite common, as herring
shoals always seem to move back and
forth with the tide. In this work the
seine is made fast along shore, and the
Quoddy boat and crew start off with the
tide, hugging the shore, paying out :,
the Seine as they go. When nearly at
the seine end, sudden tack is taken, at
a right angle from the shore, and then,
the seine being kept taut by rapid row.
ing, or sailing, or both, a circling sweep
is made around against the tide to land.
and the haul is done. In this way
several hauls can be made at each
of the four turns of the tide, as the
Quoddy fishermen make no hardship OF I
toiling at all hours of day and night
when anything that is herring may be
brought to their nets. But tho practice
Of seining, worse luck to the fishermen,
is also in rapid decadence, owing to-.
severe restrictions On the part Of the
Canadian, and some efforts by our own
authorities.
Probably on no coast is there SO vast
o number of weirs. At little distance
off shore it seems as If the entire land
edge were margined with continuous
reach of reeds. They are built at times
when the tide is out. Each one forms
what might be called pen of upright
poles, standing like palisades in old
forts. The slender saplings used are
placed an inch or two apart and are in-5
terwoven with willow or alder; and the
entire affair sets out from land some
thing in the form of printers type Of
interrogation. The opening is so placed
that portions of the herring shoals,
moving downward with the tide, enter;
and once inside, they whirl and swirl
about in the great lobe of the wen,
blindly seeking an exit only in the di-
rection Of the outgoing tide. This
blind fatality of the herring is 80 marked
that fisherman assert that not one es-
capes where it has entered. Taking
herring in the weirs is easily accom-
plished. One end of a seine is fastened
at the weir-mouth; the other end,
dragged by boatmen, is given half
sweep around the weir, preceded by
boat in which are men beating the
water with paddles to "Aock" the fish
until the seine is "bunched"; when the
herring are dipped into the small boats
with ordinary scoop-nets. Two or three
sweeps of the seine will take every her
ring thus impounded. Often the turn
of the tide comes in the night; and when
it is remembered that there are from H.
900 to 5000 of these weirs upon the
herring grounds some idea may be
gained of the appearance Of the dark
rims of shore line where fash the fish
er's lanterns and flare their countless
torches. ~
But there is a genuine romance and
excitement about herring driving. 1t
is done under fear of the mighty law,
and cover of pitch black nights. If the
waters be sullen, dark and still, and
dense fog has stolen upon Quoddy from
the sea to keep the hated officials in
doors with their grog, fortune is kind
indeed to the herring fisher, who may
thus turn an extra honest penny for the
winter and little ones, away from the
Ottawa money-bags and the bothersome
surplus at Washington. Everything Is
snug and shipshape betimes, awaiting
the night food-tide. Softly the fisher
and crew of three, in their oil clothes
and sou 'westers, glide away from shore
with mufled oars into the impenetrable
darkness. Every square rod of water is
as familiar to these men as the "cuddy
of their own boat. The mast is left
behind. There are two oaIsmen, one
steersman, and tdipper." When
favorable aground" has been. reached,
there is sudden flash in the boat. In
q moment stronger light appears for
ward, over the gunwale on the port side.
There in little wire-woyen dragon, or
cresset, sizzles and flames Quoddy
torch. The Quoddy Indians, at Pleas.
ant Point on the St. Croix, have made Il
of birch bark. 1t is 18 inches long, 8
wide, 2 or thick; has cost cents; and
will blaze for half an hour. The moment
this is aaame, the Quoddy boat fairly
leaps upon the water. The greater its
speed the greater its luck. Suddenly
there is q tremor in the water just
ahead of the faring torch. The "dip-
per" stands with barred arms, resolute as
if for a mighty deed, grimly grasping
the stout handle of huge scoop-net.
The trenlor upon the water increases to
q ripple, and the efforts Of the oarsmen
are redoubled. The ripping soon be-
comes spumy, seething volume, radiat-
ing and widening to away rearward,
as If n million tiny waves, given animate
life, we're battling for precedence. Sud-
denly there is "swash!" and the "dip-
per's" net has descended. It brings
back more than bushel of cleaning,
shining herring. As iffor dear life the
dipper" scoops and the oarsmen row.
Tumbling, splashing. cavorting, and